N: Vanilla and lemon cake frosting, great!P: Medicinal and briny but with a sweetness that is lacking in the 17 year. Very creamy.F: A little hot, more pepper and lemon than the standard Bowmore. Lingering sweetness.This falls right on the B+/A- line. I'm going with A- because for a non-sherried whiskey at this age, this is about as good as it gets. And I've sucked down half the bottle in less than 24 hours. That says something.

Entirely drinkable and pleasant, with that quality of "cask-strength lightness" and smoke. Meaning, it's spicy/smokey but not particularly complex, though somewhat light and enjoyable, with a butt-kicking ABV taste (although the ABV isn't particularly huge as it turns out). After hearing that this was well-reviewed, I drank a good amount more at length, but didn't find the magic for me. Good though.

p: Peppery vanilla soap. Not enough soap to be too detrimental, but it's definitely there. I'm on the fence on this one. There definitely is a distinct flavor that doesn't take much searching to discover.

Yellow gold color. Rich smokey nose with some sweet elements. The palate has big flavor with some oak, chili pepper and some soap. The finish is fantastic and long. Overall an intriguing drink. [10/15/13]